A.
The Biology Behind Drug Addiction
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Evidence that drug addiction
has a biological basis is being studied at the University
of California, San Francisco. Dr. Robert Malenka,
a professor of psychiatry, says drug addiction is
now viewed by many scientists as a biological brain
disorder, similar to depression.
Malenka:
Obviously, it's not just biology. There's incredibly
important environmental influences, individual psychological
differences that contribute to whether somebody
becomes addicted or not, I mean those influences
are clearly incredibly important.
Narrator:
But Malenka says so are biological influences. Clinical
studies have found drugs of abuse can activate neural
circuits in the brain responsible for a natural
reward process.
Malenka:
A natural reward is associated with feelings of
warmth - filling up your stomach when you eat food.
The thought is that a drug of abuse sort of goes
in there, interacts with these neural circuits and
activates them, but in an unnatural way.
Narrator:
Chronic intake of drugs seems to alter the natural
reward process permanently. For Science Today, I'm
Larissa Branin.
B.
Lead Poisoning: A Silent Enemy
Narrator:
This is Science Today. Although Congress banned
the use of lead paint back in 1971, there are still
about 57 million homes in the country which are
contaminated with lead based paints. But Los Alamos
National Laboratory researcher, Chuck Wilkerson
says paint flakes are not the only way children
get lead in their system.
Wilkerson:
Certainly having the lead flakes is a higher source
in terms of concentration of lead, but it's not
the only one they're exposed to as constantly. With
the reduction of the amount of use of lead in fuels,
lead in the environment has decreased a lot, but
there's still so many places industrially, that
lead is used.
Narrator:
Once in the atmosphere, this lead is deposited in
the soil and inhaled, which can lead to a variety
of very serious physical and mental problems.
Wilkerson:
It has been shown to decrease the IQ of developing
children. It's been shown to cause behavioral problems.
It's been shown to affect neuro-muscular development.
It's been shown to affect blood production. And
so it's a very, very serious problem.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
C.
Estrogen's Effects On The Brain
Narrator:
This is Science Today. The hormone estrogen has
recently been suggested to have an effect on Alzheimer's
Disease. Dr. Gary Small, director of UCLA's Center
on Aging and a professor of psychiatry says estrogen
seems to increase memory in patients who already
have Alzheimer's.
Small:
In addition to that, there are epidemiological observational
studies where it seems that women who take estrogen
have a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's Disease.
Narrator:
UCLA is currently involved in a multi-site study
on estrogen's effects on the brain, including it's
seeming role as an anti-depressant.
Small:
I think it's an exciting time to be looking at estrogen
effects on the brain. There's greater recognition
of some of the mental problems affecting women as
they age and certainly depression and cognitive
impairment are the major problems that older women
face and estrogen may help them deal with some of
these problems.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
D.
Increasing The Range Of Laser Surgery
Narrator:
This is Science Today. You may have heard about
those new laser dental drills, which actually cut
through hard tissue more efficiently and less painfully.
Well, UCLA School of Dentistry professor Roy Eversole
says these new types of laser systems don't have
to be limited to just teeth.
Eversole:
It is very, very effective in cutting bone. We see
that these systems have wide applicability in plastic
surgery, orthopedic surgery, podiatric surgery with
a system that is number one, basically bloodless.
It doesn't char. It doesn't burn, it doesn't heat
up the tissue. It's very, very clean.
Narrator:
Eversole says as a surgical device, using laser
technology with hard tissue is minimally invasive
and would probably minimize complications in wound
healing.
Eversole:
I think this new system, although it's first developed
for dentistry, will become a very important surgical
tool for really precise, little micro-surgical things
in the medical fields.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
E.
What Couples Should Know About Fertility
Narrator:
This is Science Today. About 15 percent of American
couples have trouble conceiving a child. According
to male fertility specialist Paul Turek of the University
of California, San Francisco, about 40 percent of
the problem is male related and since it's sometimes
easily correctable, Turek says it's important for
a man to see a specialist.
Turek:
It's just as important that the man go see someone
who knows a lot about him as the woman goes to see
someone who knows a lot about her. Now women tend
to be more proactive about it, take care of themselves
better medically. Men sort of have a cultural problem
because they have to work hard and have to make
money and they can't be weak or ill because then
things will fall apart, supposedly.
Narrator:
But Turek says about one out of five men don't know
the proper techniques of conceiving a child, so
simple counseling can greatly help.
Turek:
What kinds of lubricants do you use, avoiding hot
tubs, all things in moderation. Keeping healthy
overall, exercising, you know eating a good diet
makes good reproductive sense, too. A healthy body
is a healthy reproductive body.
Narrator:
For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.
